they are in reality common to the whole tribe, and a right of exclufive property is not known. All public business concludes with a feast. PUBLIC feasts, which were always the occa➡ fion of mirth and dancing, constituted a great part of the amusements of primitive fociety, and the office of diftributor was frequently exercifed by the chief. This office, though originally attended with little pre-eminence, came, in progrefs of fociety, to lay the foundation of the most important diftinctions known among men. THE natives of Congo live in a state of polygamy. The women perform the labour of the field, and fow their beans, which are the chief article of their fubfiftence. They have two harvests in the year. When harvest is over, they put all the kidney-beans into one heap, the Indian wheat into another, and fo on with other grains; and having given the Macolonti, or King, enough for his maintenance, and having laid laid afide what is deemed neceffary for sowing, the remainder is divided at fo much to every cottage, according to the number of its inhabitants*. WE are told by Cæfar and Tacitus, that the antient Germans paid little attention to agriculture; that no man among them held landed property by exclusive right of inheritance. The princes annually allotted to feparate bodies of the people herding together, fuch a portion of territory as was fufficient for their maintenance. CÆSAR's words are thefe: "Agriculturæ non ❝ student; majorque pars victus corum in lacte " & cafeo & carne confiftit. Neque quifquam ❝ agri modum certum, aut fines proprios habet: "sed magiftratus ac principes in annos fingulos, "gentibus cognationibufque hominum qui una "coierunt, quantum & quo loco vifum eft, *F. Denis de Carli's Account of Congo, in Churchill's Voyages. ❝ agri TACITUS expreffes himself in the following words: Agri pro numero cultorum ab univer"fis per vices occupantur, quos mox inter fe fe“cundum dignationem partiuntur. Facilitatem "partiendi, camporum fpatia præftant. Arva ❝ per annos mutant, & fuperest ager †.” 66 THE act of divifion of territory being exercised by the chiefs once in the course of every year, led to the most important confequences. Their determinations being as yet influenced by no corrupt motives of gain, but directed by views of general good, received habitual acquiefcence. The uniform exercise of the power of diftribution obtained the efficacy of legal right, and served to impress * Cæfar de Bello Gallico, lib. vi. cap. 20. upon the minds of the people a sense of obligation of fubmiffion to the will of the prince. THE appropriation of any portion of the general stock of provifions to the use of an aggregate body, family, or tribe of individuals, eafily led to the appropriation of a certain portion to the use of the chief. This deftination gave stability to his pre-eminence. Being in use to regulate the division or distribution of the fubjects of property belonging to the whole tribe, and among a pastoral people to mark out the boundaries of their pasture-grounds; his authority naturally extended to the divifion or distribution of landed poffeffions, when agriculture was become an object of attention, and the people depended upon the cultivation of the foil, as affording their principal fund of fubfiftence. The chief eafily retained for himself a portion of territory correfponding to the acknowledged dignity of his ftation. IN that rude period of fociety when men, destitute of the knowledge of taming cattle, and ignorant of the arts of agriculture, derive their sustenance merely from the natural productions of the earth, and the arts of war practifed against the beasts of the field; the office of magistrate, vested with the power of efficacious decifion in any matter whatever, is unknown. The independence of the individual is so perfect, that he acknowledges no right in any man to direct his conduct. The chief's diftinction originates in the difplay of excellent perfonal qualities: these alone procure to him lasting reverence and esteem. IN pastoral life, the power of the chief is greatly enlarged. The respect and reverence paid to him, are not wholly governed by a sense of his fuperiority with refpect to perfonal talents and abilities: a new fource of influence arifes from the particular appropriation to himself of an extraordinary N 2 |